Executives stated on Sunday that packaged food manufacturers would assess the suggested modifications to nutritional information labeling and submit recommendations to the food regulator.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) approved a proposal on Saturday to highlight nutritional information on packaged food items, such as total sugars, salt, and saturated fat, in large, bold letters, in an effort to raise awareness.
At the 44th meeting of the food authority, a decision was made to amend the 2020 Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations. According to a statement, the draft notification for the amendment is now available for public review in order to receive additional comments and suggestions.
“We will assess the recommendations and provide our own recommendations and objections, if any, to the authorities. On the surface, it seems sense that food outlets should be subject to stricter regulations given our rapidly expanding economy, and that customers should have access to information about the ingredients in packaged foods. The most important thing is that it will keep us all safe and healthy,” stated Parle Products senior category head Krishnarao Buddha.
Nutritional data is already available on the rear of our product packaging. Additionally, we have voluntarily added Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) labeling to the front of our product packaging, giving customers clear access to nutritional information. We’ll abide by the rules,” a representative for Nestlé India declared.
“We will respond as soon as the regulation is posted on the FSSAI website for public comments,” Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. managing director Jayen Mehta stated (Amul).
Long-term benefits
According to experts, as consumers grow more conscious, the proposed amendment may encourage manufacturers to reformulate their goods to contain less sugar, salt, and fat.
Despite initial challenges, the rule is anticipated to have long-term benefits in encouraging a health-conscious community and reducing the incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), according to Biplab Lenin, partner at law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas.
Additional actions
Indeed, in addition to assigning a star rating to each item to represent its nutritional value, India’s food regulator is also considering the front-of-pack nutrition-labelling (FOPNL) system.
